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Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment
Can You Learn to Be Happy?
YES . . . according to the teacher of Harvard University's most popular and life-changing course. One out of every five Harvard students has lined up to hear Tal Ben-Shahar's insightful and inspiring lectures on that ever-elusive state: HAPPINESS.
HOW?
Grounded in the revolutionary "positive psychology" movement, Ben-Shahar ingeniously combines scientific studies, scholarly research, self-help advice, and spiritual enlightenment. He weaves them together into a set of principles that you can apply to your daily life. Once you open your heart and mind to Happier 's thoughts, you will feel more fulfilled, more connected . . . and, yes, HAPPIER.
"Dr. Ben-Shahar, one of the most popular teachers in Harvard's recent history, has written a personal, informed, and highly enjoyable primer on how to become happier. It would be wise to take his advice."
--Ellen J. Langer, author of "Mindfulness" and "On Becoming an Artist"
"This fine book shimmers with a rare brand of good sense that is imbedded in scientific knowledge about how to increase happiness. It is easy to see how this is the backbone of the most popular course at Harvard today."
--Martin E. P. Seligman, author of "Authentic Happiness"
YES . . . according to the teacher of Harvard University's most popular and life-changing course. One out of every five Harvard students has lined up to hear Tal Ben-Shahar's insightful and inspiring lectures on that ever-elusive state: HAPPINESS.
HOW?
Grounded in the revolutionary "positive psychology" movement, Ben-Shahar ingeniously combines scientific studies, scholarly research, self-help advice, and spiritual enlightenment. He weaves them together into a set of principles that you can apply to your daily life. Once you open your heart and mind to Happier 's thoughts, you will feel more fulfilled, more connected . . . and, yes, HAPPIER.
"Dr. Ben-Shahar, one of the most popular teachers in Harvard's recent history, has written a personal, informed, and highly enjoyable primer on how to become happier. It would be wise to take his advice."
--Ellen J. Langer, author of "Mindfulness" and "On Becoming an Artist"
"This fine book shimmers with a rare brand of good sense that is imbedded in scientific knowledge about how to increase happiness. It is easy to see how this is the backbone of the most popular course at Harvard today."
--Martin E. P. Seligman, author of "Authentic Happiness"
192 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2007
1,039 people are currently reading
10k people want to read
About the author
Tal Ben-Shahar
28books314followersTal Ben-Shahar (Hebrew: טל בן-שחר�, also known as Tal David Ben-Shachar) is an Israeli teacher and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership.
Tal Ben-Shahar taught at Harvard, where his classes on Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership were among the most popular courses in the University's history. Today Tal teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
Tal received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. His dissertation, completed in 2004, is titled "Restoring Self-Esteem's Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth." Additionally, he also holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Harvard in Philosophy and Psychology. His undergraduate thesis, completed in 1996, is titled "Honesty Pays: Bridging the Gap Between Moral Theory and Practice."
Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. He is the author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 languages.
[Sourced from .]
Tal Ben-Shahar taught at Harvard, where his classes on Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership were among the most popular courses in the University's history. Today Tal teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.
Tal received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. His dissertation, completed in 2004, is titled "Restoring Self-Esteem's Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth." Additionally, he also holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Harvard in Philosophy and Psychology. His undergraduate thesis, completed in 1996, is titled "Honesty Pays: Bridging the Gap Between Moral Theory and Practice."
Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. He is the author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 languages.
[Sourced from .]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 597 reviews
October 11, 2011
This is a pretty thin book with about enough content to fill a magazine article. The book centers around two ideas. First, that happiness is the "ultimate currency." The use of "currency", here, I think is unfortunate. Currency is actually a means of exchange that, at least with modern floating currencies, has no intrinsic value. A twenty dollar bill is not worth much in and of itself. It's worth comes from what we can exchange for it. Happiness is not like that. We don't exchange happiness for other stuff that is valuable. Instead, the author is trying to persuade the reader that we should measure the value of something ultimately by how happy it makes us. So, when he says currency, he means measure of value. The trouble is that when you put it clearly in that way, it no longer seems so obvious to me. It might be that everything should be measured in terms of how happy it makes you. But why not in how good it makes you? Or some other equally nebulous, but positive sounding quality?
His second main idea is that there we can measure happiness both in terms of short term pleasure (or satisfaction, or whatever), and in the long term. This raises four possibilities. 1) Hedonism is short term pleasure with long term harm. 2) Rat racing is short term pain followed by long term satisfaction. 3) Nihilism is short term pain followed by long term pain. (I don't think he understands nihilism very well. I would call this despair, which is something a bit different.) And Happiness, is short term pleasure which also leads to long term pleasure.
With this handy roadmap, the idea is to chart a path that includes as many things that fall into the happiness quadrant as possible. Seems pretty simple, right? Unfortunately for me, however, I think reading this book fell somewhere between the rat racing and nihilism parts of the spectrum.
His second main idea is that there we can measure happiness both in terms of short term pleasure (or satisfaction, or whatever), and in the long term. This raises four possibilities. 1) Hedonism is short term pleasure with long term harm. 2) Rat racing is short term pain followed by long term satisfaction. 3) Nihilism is short term pain followed by long term pain. (I don't think he understands nihilism very well. I would call this despair, which is something a bit different.) And Happiness, is short term pleasure which also leads to long term pleasure.
With this handy roadmap, the idea is to chart a path that includes as many things that fall into the happiness quadrant as possible. Seems pretty simple, right? Unfortunately for me, however, I think reading this book fell somewhere between the rat racing and nihilism parts of the spectrum.
February 23, 2016
Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, a professor at Harvard University who leads a positive psychology seminar, wrote Happier "to raise awareness of the general principles underlying a happy and fulfilling life." The philosophical questions surrounding happiness have interested him since the age of sixteen when he became the Israeli national squash champion. He was perplexed as to why after fulfilling his dream he didn't experience the happiness he expected. Of course, he was ecstatic after winning, but almost immediately that feeling was replaced with a returning feeling of emptiness. Dr. Ben-Shehar has continued to explore the subject of happiness while pursuing studies in philosophy and psychology.
This book is well written and broken down into chapters of logical progression. There is a plethora of concrete advice and simple steps to incorporate into one's daily life. I took several pages of notes and found the book enlightening. I'd like to hit on a few observations that I found helpful.
� The author describes his theory of happiness as a merger between Freud's pleasure principle that states that humans are driven by an instinctual need for pleasure and Frankl's argument that "striving to find meaning in one's life is the primary motivational force in man."
� The ultimate currency for a human being is happiness because it has intrinsic value. When a person's positive experiences (income) outweigh his negative experiences (expenses), he has made a profit. When the reverse occurs, the outcome is emotional bankruptcy.
•There are three factors that contribute to our level of happiness. The first is our genetic predisposition over which we have no control. The second factor is our current circumstances over which we may have little control. However, we do have considerable control over the kinds of activities and practices we pursue, which is the third factor to our personal level of happiness.
"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln
This book is well written and broken down into chapters of logical progression. There is a plethora of concrete advice and simple steps to incorporate into one's daily life. I took several pages of notes and found the book enlightening. I'd like to hit on a few observations that I found helpful.
� The author describes his theory of happiness as a merger between Freud's pleasure principle that states that humans are driven by an instinctual need for pleasure and Frankl's argument that "striving to find meaning in one's life is the primary motivational force in man."
� The ultimate currency for a human being is happiness because it has intrinsic value. When a person's positive experiences (income) outweigh his negative experiences (expenses), he has made a profit. When the reverse occurs, the outcome is emotional bankruptcy.
•There are three factors that contribute to our level of happiness. The first is our genetic predisposition over which we have no control. The second factor is our current circumstances over which we may have little control. However, we do have considerable control over the kinds of activities and practices we pursue, which is the third factor to our personal level of happiness.
"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln
January 11, 2016
Meh. Not great, not terrible. The problem I had with this book was that it was so theoretical as to be nearly impossible to apply in any concrete way. Also, I felt like the people who can read/get something out of this book are wealthy, first world singles living in a free society with no obligations other than to themselves and the means to do whatever they want (basically, the Harvard students that the author teaches). The whole talk of 'duty' and 'sacrifice' being bad for your happiness (even in the context of marriage and family) seems like it encourages a wholly self-centered world view... which I think is definitely not what this world needs more of. There were a couple points that made me think, but mostly I was just racing to get through. I've read other books on happiness that were much more inspiring and helpful (and concrete!) than this one.
July 10, 2008
The last book I'll tell you about was an airport impulse buy. It was me being afraid I might run out of things to read in Eastern Europe and knowing how hard it is here to get books in English. “Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment� is by Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor whose “Happiness Class� quickly became the most popular courses on campus!
This is not your typical self-help book full of mindless platitudes. Instead it is more like a workbook for your life. It's practical, it's useful, and I ordered a case of them to give to my friends and family! It made me think a lot about my life and the decisions I make which dictate how I live it. Ben-Shahar posits that happiness is the ultimate and universal currency—that the Question of All Questions is “How can we help ourselves and others —individuals, communities, society—become happier?�
It's not that the book is difficult to read. It isn't. But it demands something of you. It makes you work. And, if you take it seriously, it will probably change your life. I'll let you know. I'm taking some interesting steps as a result of reading it—trying some new things both personally and professionally.
This is not your typical self-help book full of mindless platitudes. Instead it is more like a workbook for your life. It's practical, it's useful, and I ordered a case of them to give to my friends and family! It made me think a lot about my life and the decisions I make which dictate how I live it. Ben-Shahar posits that happiness is the ultimate and universal currency—that the Question of All Questions is “How can we help ourselves and others —individuals, communities, society—become happier?�
It's not that the book is difficult to read. It isn't. But it demands something of you. It makes you work. And, if you take it seriously, it will probably change your life. I'll let you know. I'm taking some interesting steps as a result of reading it—trying some new things both personally and professionally.
May 30, 2009
very simple but profound book. i found myself bookmarking a lot of sections and exercises to return to when i had a bit more time. certainly, reading it did not make me suddenly *happier* - but it gave me some things to reflect on more.
two quotes:
"The proper role of goals is to liberate us, so that we can enjoy the here and now. If we set off on a road trip without any identified destination, the trip itself is unlikely to be much fun. If we do not know where we are going or even where we want to go, every fork in the road becomes a site of ambivalence... If we have a destination in mind, if we more or less know where we are going, we are free to focus our full attention on making the most of where we are" pg 70.
"The psychologist Donald W. Winnicott observed that children playing in close proximity to their mothers display higher levels of creativity in their games than those who are father away... The circle of creativity is a space in which children can take risks and try things out, fall and stand up again, fail and succeed - because they feel secure and safe in the presence of a person who loves them unconditionally. Because adults are capable of higher levels of abstraction than children, we do not always have to be physically near our loved ones to be within their circle of creativity. The knowledge that we loved unconditionally creates a physiological space of safety and security" pg 114-115
two quotes:
"The proper role of goals is to liberate us, so that we can enjoy the here and now. If we set off on a road trip without any identified destination, the trip itself is unlikely to be much fun. If we do not know where we are going or even where we want to go, every fork in the road becomes a site of ambivalence... If we have a destination in mind, if we more or less know where we are going, we are free to focus our full attention on making the most of where we are" pg 70.
"The psychologist Donald W. Winnicott observed that children playing in close proximity to their mothers display higher levels of creativity in their games than those who are father away... The circle of creativity is a space in which children can take risks and try things out, fall and stand up again, fail and succeed - because they feel secure and safe in the presence of a person who loves them unconditionally. Because adults are capable of higher levels of abstraction than children, we do not always have to be physically near our loved ones to be within their circle of creativity. The knowledge that we loved unconditionally creates a physiological space of safety and security" pg 114-115
May 13, 2022
"How do I determine whether I am happy or not? At what point do I become happy? Is there some universal standard of happiness, and, if there is, how do I identify it? Does it depend on my happiness relative to others, and, if it does, how do I gauge how happy other people are?"
Happier was a somewhat decent read, but ultimately didn't stand out from the crowd...
Author is an American and Israeli teacher, and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership. As a lecturer at Harvard University, Ben-Shahar created the most popular course in Harvard's history.
Tal Ben-Shahar :
The book begins with a decent intro. Ben-Shahar mentions that much of the writing will have roots in positive psychology. He pays homage to the mother and father of positive psychology; and ; respectively. Seligman's learned helplessness experiment is briefly touched on.
He also lays out the scope early on, saying:
Ben-Shahar unfolds a four-axis paradigm here, with different archetypes in each quadrant. They are: "The rat racer, the hedonist, the nihilist, and the one who is happy."
The author ties a knot in his thesis with this quote:
****
While there was nothing wrong with the writing here, per se, not much in the book really stood out to me...
I found most of the content presented to be pretty lackluster.
2.5 stars.
Happier was a somewhat decent read, but ultimately didn't stand out from the crowd...
Author is an American and Israeli teacher, and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership. As a lecturer at Harvard University, Ben-Shahar created the most popular course in Harvard's history.
Tal Ben-Shahar :
The book begins with a decent intro. Ben-Shahar mentions that much of the writing will have roots in positive psychology. He pays homage to the mother and father of positive psychology; and ; respectively. Seligman's learned helplessness experiment is briefly touched on.
He also lays out the scope early on, saying:
“Am I happy?" is a closed question that suggests a binary approach to the pursuit of the good life: we are either happy or we are not. Happiness, according to this approach, is an end of a process, a finite and definable point that, when reached, signifies the termination of our pursuit. This point, however, does not exist, and clinging to the belief that it does will lead to dissatisfaction and frustration.
We can always be happier; no person experiences perfect bliss at all times and has nothing more to which he can aspire. Therefore, rather than asking myself whether I am happy or not, a more helpful question is, "How can I become happier?" This question acknowledges the nature of happiness and the fact that its pursuit is an ongoing process best represented by an infinite continuum, not by a finite point. I am happier today than I was five years ago, and I hope to be happier five years from now than I am today.
Rather than feeling despondent because we have not yet reached the point of perfect happiness, rather than squandering our energies trying to gauge how happy we are, we need to recognize that happiness is an unlimited resource and then focus on ways in which we can attain more of it. Becoming happier is a lifelong pursuit."
Ben-Shahar unfolds a four-axis paradigm here, with different archetypes in each quadrant. They are: "The rat racer, the hedonist, the nihilist, and the one who is happy."
"The rat racer's illusion is that reaching some future destination will bring him lasting happiness; he does not recognize the significance of the journey.
The hedonist's illusion is that only the journey is important. The nihilist, having given up on both the destination and the journey, is disillusioned with life. The rat racer becomes a slave to the future; the hedonist, a slave to the moment; the nihilist, a slave to the past.
Attaining lasting happiness requires that we enjoy the journey on our way toward a destination we deem valuable. Happiness is not about making it to the peak of the mountain nor is it about climbing aimlessly around the mountain; happiness is the experience of climbing toward the peak."
The author ties a knot in his thesis with this quote:
"I believe that the spread of happiness perception can bring about a societywide revolution, no less significant than what Karl Marx had hoped to achieve. The Marxist revolution ultimately failed, though not before claiming millions of lives and making many more miserable. Because the means it used were immoral from the outset—taking away freedom from the individual—it was doomed to bring little more than destruction and unhappiness. The happiness revolution, when it comes about, will lead to radically different outcomes, through radically different means.
In contrast to Marx's proposed revolution, which was going to be externally driven, the happiness revolution must come from within. Marx was a materialist; he believed that history was driven by material conditions and therefore that change had to come from the outside, through material means. The happiness revolution, which is about the change from material perception to happiness perception, is mental and therefore internal. No outside force is required to bring about this change; no such force is capable of bringing about this change. Conscious choice—the choice to focus on happiness as the ultimate currency—is the only change agent.
A happiness revolution will come about when people recognize, in theory and in practice, that happiness is the ultimate currency. While many people would agree, in theory, that this is true, a closer look at the way they lead their lives reveals that in effect they are driven primarily by factors other than happiness. Happiness perception can help us, as a society, emerge from the "great depression" in which we currently find ourselves. The implications to society, though, go beyond raising our collective levels of well-being..."
****
While there was nothing wrong with the writing here, per se, not much in the book really stood out to me...
I found most of the content presented to be pretty lackluster.
2.5 stars.
August 29, 2022
What bothered me most about this book was the paradox that we a) should first measure everything we do in our daily lives in order to get data on how we spend our lives with the contradictory idea that b) our lives are too full of activities and that we need to simplify in order to be happy. There is no way to combine these two ideas. Moreover, the author and I did not share the same political views.
It kind of bothers me that we humans should constantly grow and become better versions of ourselves by doing more and analyzing everything we do in great detail. I don't think it's really that complicated to be happy: it's eating when you're hungry, getting into the warmth when you're cold, having someone to talk and share problems with, and hopefully staying healthy. Why should we overcomplicate everything?
I'm not sure why this book is so provocative to me? Maybe simply because it feels so naïve and idealistic. I have a hard time seeing that anyone with titles like customer service support, data analyst, operations manager or whatever that helps big multinational corporations continue to return profits to their shareholders can feel that their job is helping to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, these are the rules of the game and there's not much you can do but adapt and become a pawn in the game.
It is surface privilege to think you can design your entire life. I still don't know how to get a job that I really love. After doing the exercises in this book, I've realized that I like to converse with people, write and read, be outdoors and inspire and exchange thoughts. If anyone knows of a profession that contains all of these components, please feel free to contact me. Because I still haven't figured out what my calling is and am unsure if I ever will either.
It kind of bothers me that we humans should constantly grow and become better versions of ourselves by doing more and analyzing everything we do in great detail. I don't think it's really that complicated to be happy: it's eating when you're hungry, getting into the warmth when you're cold, having someone to talk and share problems with, and hopefully staying healthy. Why should we overcomplicate everything?
I'm not sure why this book is so provocative to me? Maybe simply because it feels so naïve and idealistic. I have a hard time seeing that anyone with titles like customer service support, data analyst, operations manager or whatever that helps big multinational corporations continue to return profits to their shareholders can feel that their job is helping to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, these are the rules of the game and there's not much you can do but adapt and become a pawn in the game.
It is surface privilege to think you can design your entire life. I still don't know how to get a job that I really love. After doing the exercises in this book, I've realized that I like to converse with people, write and read, be outdoors and inspire and exchange thoughts. If anyone knows of a profession that contains all of these components, please feel free to contact me. Because I still haven't figured out what my calling is and am unsure if I ever will either.
April 17, 2018
Hard NOT to like a book about being happier. :)
The author has big ambitions for this book. Not just a social change away from Materialism and towards Happiness as the "ultimate currency," but a worldwide Happiness Revolution. (I can see it now, rainbow flags, glitter bombs, and all sides with the same battle cry, "YAY!" Good luck with that.
Some of the book is a bit oversimplified and requires the occasional building an escape route out of painted-in corners. (OF COURSE there are times when we need to sacrifice today for the big payoff tomorrow... but ignore all that and let's get back to what I was saying about having your cake and eating it too...) The author is aware of the term "false dichotomy" but fails to see his own black and white vision when drawing hard lines between nihilists, hedonists, and "rat racers" where there should be gradient, Gaussian curves. I guess the intended audience is high-schoolish, not college.
And I don't recall a discussion of how my happiness and your happiness can collide and cause conflict.
As much as I'd like to take a star off for these flaws I can't. The rest of the book is just too good. There is an elegant definition of happiness here that you would tattoo on your forearm if it wasn't so long. And exercises, meditation and thought-experiments galore for you to examine what makes you happy now, what gives you purpose to work toward, and how to find your CALLING. (No bull, you want the C-Level mission statement for your life? Get it here. Guess what? It concerns what makes you happy...)
Read this book if you want to be happier.
The author has big ambitions for this book. Not just a social change away from Materialism and towards Happiness as the "ultimate currency," but a worldwide Happiness Revolution. (I can see it now, rainbow flags, glitter bombs, and all sides with the same battle cry, "YAY!" Good luck with that.
Some of the book is a bit oversimplified and requires the occasional building an escape route out of painted-in corners. (OF COURSE there are times when we need to sacrifice today for the big payoff tomorrow... but ignore all that and let's get back to what I was saying about having your cake and eating it too...) The author is aware of the term "false dichotomy" but fails to see his own black and white vision when drawing hard lines between nihilists, hedonists, and "rat racers" where there should be gradient, Gaussian curves. I guess the intended audience is high-schoolish, not college.
And I don't recall a discussion of how my happiness and your happiness can collide and cause conflict.
As much as I'd like to take a star off for these flaws I can't. The rest of the book is just too good. There is an elegant definition of happiness here that you would tattoo on your forearm if it wasn't so long. And exercises, meditation and thought-experiments galore for you to examine what makes you happy now, what gives you purpose to work toward, and how to find your CALLING. (No bull, you want the C-Level mission statement for your life? Get it here. Guess what? It concerns what makes you happy...)
Read this book if you want to be happier.
October 8, 2010
Great read. While some of it is obvious (find what makes you happy), he makes some great points. He poses some poignant questions on how to discover what matters to you, and how to add happiness to your life. He briefly discusses external vs. internal manifestations of happiness. Definite 5 star.
A few quotes from the book:
"To live a meaningful life, we must have a self-generated purpose that possesses personal significance rather than one that is dictated by society's standards and expectations."
"Surprisingly, some people feel more depressed once they have attained material prosperity than they did while striving for it... The rat racer is sustained by the hope that his actions will yield some future benefit, which makes his negative emotions more bearable. However, once he reaches his destination and realizes that material prosperity does not make him happy, there is nothing to sustain him. He is filled with despair and hopelessness, because there is nothing else to look forward to, nothing that will allow him to envision a future that would be happy." (Page 75)
There's plenty of good quotes, but these sum it up: find what intrinsic values matter most to you, and pursue them. Evaluate your daily life, and spend more time doing things that make you happy and add value to your life.
A few quotes from the book:
"To live a meaningful life, we must have a self-generated purpose that possesses personal significance rather than one that is dictated by society's standards and expectations."
"Surprisingly, some people feel more depressed once they have attained material prosperity than they did while striving for it... The rat racer is sustained by the hope that his actions will yield some future benefit, which makes his negative emotions more bearable. However, once he reaches his destination and realizes that material prosperity does not make him happy, there is nothing to sustain him. He is filled with despair and hopelessness, because there is nothing else to look forward to, nothing that will allow him to envision a future that would be happy." (Page 75)
There's plenty of good quotes, but these sum it up: find what intrinsic values matter most to you, and pursue them. Evaluate your daily life, and spend more time doing things that make you happy and add value to your life.
April 12, 2020
เล่มนี้คำว่� ความสุ� ไม่ใช่ความหมายในทางปรัชญาหรือพุทธศาสนาแต่อย่างไร
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เนื้อหาของหนังสืออาจไม่แปลกใหม่ ตรงกับหลายๆเล่� ประมวลออกมาได้ประมาณนี�
> เราทนทุกข์ตอนนี้เพื่อรับความสุขในอนาค� ประมาณว่าทนกับปัจจุบันเพื่อหวังสุขในอนาคต
แบบเดียวกับหนังสือ "ความสุขปัจจุบันสุทธิ" นักเรียนที่ทนกับการเรียนเพื่อให้เสร็จสิ้นในวันสอบ
> เรารู้สึกสุขเมื่อเราพึ่งผ่านความทุกข์ม�
> การเห็นแก่เงินแล้วคิดว่าจะมีความสุข ติดมาตั้งแต่ในอดีตที่ต้องสะสมอาหาร เพื่อให้ผ่านฤดูหนาวอันโหดร้าย
> ต่อให้ถูกล็อตเตอรรี่ ขีดวัดความสุขพุ่งขึ้นสูงสุ� ไม่เกินเดือน และจะกลับไปตั้งต้นเหมือนก่อนหน้านั้� เช่นเดียวกับความทุกข์
> เป้าหมายคือหัวใจสำคัญ เราต้องตั้งด้วยตัวเราเอง และไม่ควรจะเป็นเรื่องเงิ�
แต่เป็นสุขแบบทางโลกนี้แหละครับ เน้นมุมมอ� ปรับทัศนคต� สุขกับการทำงาน ที่มักไม่เคยถูกปลูกฝัง
เนื้อหาของหนังสืออาจไม่แปลกใหม่ ตรงกับหลายๆเล่� ประมวลออกมาได้ประมาณนี�
> เราทนทุกข์ตอนนี้เพื่อรับความสุขในอนาค� ประมาณว่าทนกับปัจจุบันเพื่อหวังสุขในอนาคต
แบบเดียวกับหนังสือ "ความสุขปัจจุบันสุทธิ" นักเรียนที่ทนกับการเรียนเพื่อให้เสร็จสิ้นในวันสอบ
> เรารู้สึกสุขเมื่อเราพึ่งผ่านความทุกข์ม�
> การเห็นแก่เงินแล้วคิดว่าจะมีความสุข ติดมาตั้งแต่ในอดีตที่ต้องสะสมอาหาร เพื่อให้ผ่านฤดูหนาวอันโหดร้าย
> ต่อให้ถูกล็อตเตอรรี่ ขีดวัดความสุขพุ่งขึ้นสูงสุ� ไม่เกินเดือน และจะกลับไปตั้งต้นเหมือนก่อนหน้านั้� เช่นเดียวกับความทุกข์
> เป้าหมายคือหัวใจสำคัญ เราต้องตั้งด้วยตัวเราเอง และไม่ควรจะเป็นเรื่องเงิ�
July 23, 2013
The backbone of the most popular course at Harvard today. A lot of great exercises to complete! I liked his hamburger model to describe people
- the vegetarian burger is the rat racer - future benefit, present detriment - inability to enjoy what they are doing and their persistent belief that once they reach a certain destination they will be happy.
- the junk-food burger is the hedonist - future detriment, present benefit - seeks pleasure, avoids pain.
- the worst burger is the nihilist - future detriment, present detriment - resigned to the belief that life has no meaning, chained to the past - past failures, affect the future - no matter what one does, one can't attain happiness
- the ideal burger is the one that creates happiness - future benefit, present benefit - we enjoy the journey on our way to a destination we deem valuable, happiness is the experience of climbing toward the peak.
Happiness is the ultimate currency, not gold or prestige - Happiness perception, we guide or life around how we can find meaning and pleasure rather than how we can acquire more money and more possessions (material perception). All there is to life is the day-to-day, the ordinary, the details of the mosaic. We are living a happy life when we derive pleasure and meaning while spending time with our loved ones, or learning something new, or engaging in a project at work. The more of our days are filled with these experiences the happier we become. This is all there is to it.
- the vegetarian burger is the rat racer - future benefit, present detriment - inability to enjoy what they are doing and their persistent belief that once they reach a certain destination they will be happy.
- the junk-food burger is the hedonist - future detriment, present benefit - seeks pleasure, avoids pain.
- the worst burger is the nihilist - future detriment, present detriment - resigned to the belief that life has no meaning, chained to the past - past failures, affect the future - no matter what one does, one can't attain happiness
- the ideal burger is the one that creates happiness - future benefit, present benefit - we enjoy the journey on our way to a destination we deem valuable, happiness is the experience of climbing toward the peak.
Happiness is the ultimate currency, not gold or prestige - Happiness perception, we guide or life around how we can find meaning and pleasure rather than how we can acquire more money and more possessions (material perception). All there is to life is the day-to-day, the ordinary, the details of the mosaic. We are living a happy life when we derive pleasure and meaning while spending time with our loved ones, or learning something new, or engaging in a project at work. The more of our days are filled with these experiences the happier we become. This is all there is to it.
September 16, 2023
Ben-Sharar gives less psychological research on happiness than trite generalizations and bland positivity.
January 28, 2019
Δεν πρόκειται για άλλο ένα βιβλίο αυτοβοήθειας. Εξηγεί, μεν, το πώς αντιλαμβανόμαστε την ευτυχία ανάλογα με τα βιώματα και τον τρόπο σκέψης μας αλλά μας καλεί να σταματήσουμε από το διάλειμμα και να αναλάβουμε δράση (αυτό που αποκαλεί time-in).
Σύντομο, σαφές κι ουσιαστικό, νομίζω πως απαιτεί και δεύτερη ανάγνωση για να κάνουμε κτήμα μας τις επιταγές και τις ασκήσεις που μας προτείνει ο Tal Ben-Shahar. Πρέπει, δε, να αποτελεί σταθμό στο είδος γιατί είμαι βέβαιος πως έχω ξαναδεί πολλές από τις προτάσεις του σε αντίστοιχα βιβλία, συνεντεύξεις, βιντεάκια και λοιπές μορφές pop psychology.
Σύντομο, σαφές κι ουσιαστικό, νομίζω πως απαιτεί και δεύτερη ανάγνωση για να κάνουμε κτήμα μας τις επιταγές και τις ασκήσεις που μας προτείνει ο Tal Ben-Shahar. Πρέπει, δε, να αποτελεί σταθμό στο είδος γιατί είμαι βέβαιος πως έχω ξαναδεί πολλές από τις προτάσεις του σε αντίστοιχα βιβλία, συνεντεύξεις, βιντεάκια και λοιπές μορφές pop psychology.
May 2, 2019
Nothing surprised me in the content of this book, yet it's a nice and well-written reminder of how to focus on yourself, your view of life, your goals and overall understanding of happiness. If only it was easier to be happy (poof! and you're happy), if only everyone would know how to reach such state, show example.. we'd live in a way better place. But this book is one of many baby steps to reach this destination.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.� /Mahatma Gandhi/
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.� /Mahatma Gandhi/
January 12, 2024
Proves Bible principles to be true with some good illustrations and perspectives. Balance is always key.
September 15, 2018
Interesting frameworks and concepts, like the future/present pleasure/detriment matrix, gratitude letters, and sentence completion.
___
Rather than asking yourself if you are happy or not, a more helpful question is "How can I become happier?"
If we do not ritualise activities - whether working out at the gym, spending time with our family or reading for pleasure - we often don't get to them, and rather than spontaneous we become reactive to external demands.
Hedonism: the experience of present benefit and future detriment.
Nihilism: Neither present nor future benefit.
Rat racer: Present detriment for future benefit.
Happiness archetype: activities that bring them enjoyment in the present will also lead to a fulfilling future.
Rat racers often mistake the relief upon reaching the destination for happiness. The weightier the burden, the more powerful is the experience of relief. When mistaking this relief for happiness we reinforce the illusion that reaching goals will make us happy.
Relief can be considered negative happiness, as it results from the negation of stress or anxiety.
Without long-term purpose, devoid of challenge, life ceases to feel meaningful to us; we cannot find happiness if we exclusively seek pleasure and avoid pain.
Avoid the false dichotomy of should I be happy now or in the future? Ask how you might attain both.
The rat racer becomes a slave to the future, the hedonist, a slave to the moment, the nihilist, a slave to the past.
Attaining lasting happiness requires that we enjoy the journey on the way toward a destination we deem valuable. Happiness is the experience of climbing towards the peak.
If we were devoid of emotion and hence of motivation to act, we would aspire to nothing. We would remain indifferent to our actions and thoughts, as well as their ramifications. Because emotion is the foundation of motivation, it naturally plays a central role in our motivation to pursue happiness.
Being an idealist is being a realist in the deepest sense - it is being true to our real nature.
The shift from being a rat racer to pursuing happiness is not about working less or with less fervor but about working as hard or harder at the right activities - those that are a source of both present and future benefit.
Sentence completion - generating a number of endings to an incomplete sentence - often helps people come up with insights that bring about meaningful change in their lives.
Quickly generate at least 6, or as many as you can think of, to the sentence stem.
Goals communicate to ourselves and to others, the belief that we are capable of overcoming obstacles.
The proper role of goals is to liberate us, so that we can enjoy the here and now.
If we have a destination in mind, if we more or less know where we are going, we are free to focus our full attention on making the most of where we are.
A goal enables us to experience a sense of being while doing.
People seeking greater well-being would be well advised to focus on the pursuit of
a)goals involving growth, connection and contribution rather than money, beauty and popularity and
b) goals that are interesting and personally important to them rather than goals they feel forced or pressured to pursue.
The challenge is not to entirely get rid of have-tos but to reduce them and, as much as possible, replace them with want-tos. How happy I am depends to a large degree on the ratio between have-tos and want-tos in my life.
An overwhelming sense of relief in the moment, can feel a lot like happiness.
Emotions are largely indifferent to material wealth.
No privilege in the world can protect us from experiencing emotional pain, even nihilism at time, and the expectations that it should only leads to further unhappiness. We, regardless of our income and social status, need to give ourselves the permission to be human.
If we can learn to reframe our work and our education as a privilege rather than a duty, and do the same for our children, we will be much better off in the ultimate currency. Not only that, but we will also learn more and perform better.
Work should draw out a variety of talents and skills, the employee should complete the whole task, from beginning to end, rather than play a minor role in the big picture; finally, the employee should feel that her work has a significant impact on others.
How we perceive the work can matter more than the work itself.
MPS Process:
Q1: What gives me meaning?
Q2: What gives me pleasure?
Q3: What are my strengths?
Your being the national champion is a reflection of who you are, of, among other things, your passion and dedication. The external attracted more attention to the internal.
Even people who believe that happiness might be attainable with the right person may resign themselves to an unhappy relationship out of a sense of duty toward their partners, their children, or the institution of marriage. They believe erroneously that sacrifice is synonymous with virtue.
Standing by one's partner in times of need is not sacrifice; when we love someone, we often feel that helping that person is helping ourselves.
To cultivate genuine intimacy the focus in a relationship must shift from desire to be validated - seeking approval and praise - to the desire to be known.
Make it a ritual to write at least one or two gratitude letters a month to people you care about - a lover, family member, a dear friend.
We do not need to make a choice between helping others and ourselves, they are not mutually exclusive possibilities.
The more we help others, the happier we become, and the happier we become, the more inclined we are to help others.
To devote oneself to an agreeable task is restful.
The right to be happy, that individual happiness is noble and worthy pursuit, is censured and vilified by many ideologies.
When we do not accept our inherent worth, we ignore or actively undermine our talents, our potential, our joy, our accomplishments.
Inherent worthiness is a state of openness - of being open to happiness.
Time affluence is a consistent predictor of well-being, whereas material affluence is not.
People are generally happier in free countries than they are in state-controlled economies. The problem arises when the freedom to pursue material wealth is replaced with a compulsion to amass it.
To realise life's potential for happiness we must recognise that "this is it", that all there is to life is the day-to-day, the ordinary, the details of the mosaic. We are living a happy live when we derive pleasure and meaning while spending time with our loved ones, or learning something new, or engaging in a project at work. The more our days are filled with such experiences, the happier we become. That is all there is to it.
___
Rather than asking yourself if you are happy or not, a more helpful question is "How can I become happier?"
If we do not ritualise activities - whether working out at the gym, spending time with our family or reading for pleasure - we often don't get to them, and rather than spontaneous we become reactive to external demands.
Hedonism: the experience of present benefit and future detriment.
Nihilism: Neither present nor future benefit.
Rat racer: Present detriment for future benefit.
Happiness archetype: activities that bring them enjoyment in the present will also lead to a fulfilling future.
Rat racers often mistake the relief upon reaching the destination for happiness. The weightier the burden, the more powerful is the experience of relief. When mistaking this relief for happiness we reinforce the illusion that reaching goals will make us happy.
Relief can be considered negative happiness, as it results from the negation of stress or anxiety.
Without long-term purpose, devoid of challenge, life ceases to feel meaningful to us; we cannot find happiness if we exclusively seek pleasure and avoid pain.
Avoid the false dichotomy of should I be happy now or in the future? Ask how you might attain both.
The rat racer becomes a slave to the future, the hedonist, a slave to the moment, the nihilist, a slave to the past.
Attaining lasting happiness requires that we enjoy the journey on the way toward a destination we deem valuable. Happiness is the experience of climbing towards the peak.
If we were devoid of emotion and hence of motivation to act, we would aspire to nothing. We would remain indifferent to our actions and thoughts, as well as their ramifications. Because emotion is the foundation of motivation, it naturally plays a central role in our motivation to pursue happiness.
Being an idealist is being a realist in the deepest sense - it is being true to our real nature.
The shift from being a rat racer to pursuing happiness is not about working less or with less fervor but about working as hard or harder at the right activities - those that are a source of both present and future benefit.
Sentence completion - generating a number of endings to an incomplete sentence - often helps people come up with insights that bring about meaningful change in their lives.
Quickly generate at least 6, or as many as you can think of, to the sentence stem.
Goals communicate to ourselves and to others, the belief that we are capable of overcoming obstacles.
The proper role of goals is to liberate us, so that we can enjoy the here and now.
If we have a destination in mind, if we more or less know where we are going, we are free to focus our full attention on making the most of where we are.
A goal enables us to experience a sense of being while doing.
People seeking greater well-being would be well advised to focus on the pursuit of
a)goals involving growth, connection and contribution rather than money, beauty and popularity and
b) goals that are interesting and personally important to them rather than goals they feel forced or pressured to pursue.
The challenge is not to entirely get rid of have-tos but to reduce them and, as much as possible, replace them with want-tos. How happy I am depends to a large degree on the ratio between have-tos and want-tos in my life.
An overwhelming sense of relief in the moment, can feel a lot like happiness.
Emotions are largely indifferent to material wealth.
No privilege in the world can protect us from experiencing emotional pain, even nihilism at time, and the expectations that it should only leads to further unhappiness. We, regardless of our income and social status, need to give ourselves the permission to be human.
If we can learn to reframe our work and our education as a privilege rather than a duty, and do the same for our children, we will be much better off in the ultimate currency. Not only that, but we will also learn more and perform better.
Work should draw out a variety of talents and skills, the employee should complete the whole task, from beginning to end, rather than play a minor role in the big picture; finally, the employee should feel that her work has a significant impact on others.
How we perceive the work can matter more than the work itself.
MPS Process:
Q1: What gives me meaning?
Q2: What gives me pleasure?
Q3: What are my strengths?
Your being the national champion is a reflection of who you are, of, among other things, your passion and dedication. The external attracted more attention to the internal.
Even people who believe that happiness might be attainable with the right person may resign themselves to an unhappy relationship out of a sense of duty toward their partners, their children, or the institution of marriage. They believe erroneously that sacrifice is synonymous with virtue.
Standing by one's partner in times of need is not sacrifice; when we love someone, we often feel that helping that person is helping ourselves.
To cultivate genuine intimacy the focus in a relationship must shift from desire to be validated - seeking approval and praise - to the desire to be known.
Make it a ritual to write at least one or two gratitude letters a month to people you care about - a lover, family member, a dear friend.
We do not need to make a choice between helping others and ourselves, they are not mutually exclusive possibilities.
The more we help others, the happier we become, and the happier we become, the more inclined we are to help others.
To devote oneself to an agreeable task is restful.
The right to be happy, that individual happiness is noble and worthy pursuit, is censured and vilified by many ideologies.
When we do not accept our inherent worth, we ignore or actively undermine our talents, our potential, our joy, our accomplishments.
Inherent worthiness is a state of openness - of being open to happiness.
Time affluence is a consistent predictor of well-being, whereas material affluence is not.
People are generally happier in free countries than they are in state-controlled economies. The problem arises when the freedom to pursue material wealth is replaced with a compulsion to amass it.
To realise life's potential for happiness we must recognise that "this is it", that all there is to life is the day-to-day, the ordinary, the details of the mosaic. We are living a happy live when we derive pleasure and meaning while spending time with our loved ones, or learning something new, or engaging in a project at work. The more our days are filled with such experiences, the happier we become. That is all there is to it.
February 25, 2010
This "self-help" book, I would recommend. It started out slow, but became more interesting and insightful as it went along. The book has you ask questions and complete sentences as exercises in the study of becoming "Happier". I actually worked through these exercises by writing down the questions/sentences and answers in a spiral. The thought patterns send you down many different paths to determine where your true happiness comes from and what you can do to feel happier in the greater part of your life. It caused me to think about happiness in a different ways and even helped me to establish a little bit of a plan in how to obtain more happiness. I recognized things I needed to do to have more moments of happiness for myself and how that can be so important to my well-being.
I've already passed this book on to a family member and will keep passing it along to others.
Favorite quote from book: "Create your own reality rather than react to it."
I've already passed this book on to a family member and will keep passing it along to others.
Favorite quote from book: "Create your own reality rather than react to it."
October 23, 2009
The author taught this Happier course at Harvard and he had the largest enrollment of students in Harvard history.
The book is a somewhat dry read for a self help book however but he references lots of studies and research which is unusual in this field and very interesting.
I love his basic premise which is that the ultimate currency is not money but happiness. In any situation, we should determine how much of the most important "currency" (happiness) we are going to earn.
I saw on TV that Denmark citizens were recently identified as one of the happiest and since the government takes 50% of everyone's income and provides lots of services, supposedly most people chose careers for enjoyment, rather than for monetary considerations. So this author may have the secret after all.
The book is a somewhat dry read for a self help book however but he references lots of studies and research which is unusual in this field and very interesting.
I love his basic premise which is that the ultimate currency is not money but happiness. In any situation, we should determine how much of the most important "currency" (happiness) we are going to earn.
I saw on TV that Denmark citizens were recently identified as one of the happiest and since the government takes 50% of everyone's income and provides lots of services, supposedly most people chose careers for enjoyment, rather than for monetary considerations. So this author may have the secret after all.
May 2, 2010
1. Create meaningful rituals.
2. Daily gratitude journal.
3. Live and appreciate the present moment.
4. Enjoy the journey: "Happiness is not about making it to the peak of the mountain, nor is it about climbing aimlessly around the mountain, happiness is the experience of climbing toward the peak."
5. Struggles, hardship, and challenge are necessary components of an emotionally rich life.
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what they world needs is people who have come alive."
2. Daily gratitude journal.
3. Live and appreciate the present moment.
4. Enjoy the journey: "Happiness is not about making it to the peak of the mountain, nor is it about climbing aimlessly around the mountain, happiness is the experience of climbing toward the peak."
5. Struggles, hardship, and challenge are necessary components of an emotionally rich life.
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what they world needs is people who have come alive."
September 5, 2020
2020-09-05 - I liked what I read, but it required more thought and discipline (taking daily activity notes) than I was willing to put into it,... so I dropped it.
But I have seen, heard and read so much since in this topic that I have come to appreciate it's idea and method far more now, than then.
I need to come back to this... and carve out the time to do so.
But I have seen, heard and read so much since in this topic that I have come to appreciate it's idea and method far more now, than then.
I need to come back to this... and carve out the time to do so.
January 7, 2023
يقول رالف والدو إيمرسون: إن الدلالة الثابتة على الحكمة هي رؤية المعجزات في الأشياء العادية.
هناك قصة عن سائح زار إيطاليا. يأتي إلى موقع بناء حيث العمال في كل مكان. يقترب من أحد البنّائين ويسأله: "ماذا تفعل؟" يقول البنّاء : "أنا أضع الطوب".
يمشي السائح عشرين ياردة أخرى ويرى عامل بناء آخر يفعل نفس الشيء بالضبط. يسأل ذلك البنّاء ، "ماذا تفعل؟" يقول العامل الثاني ، "أنا أقوم ببناء جدار."
يرى عاملاً ثالثًا في ذات الموقع ، يؤدي نفس العمل الذي قام به الآخران. سأله السائح: "ماذا تفعل؟" نظر إليه البنّاء وقال ، "أنا أبني كاتدرائية لمجد الله."
بغض النظر عن حجم المهمة أو مدى اتساع التحدي ، فإن منظورنا مهم للغاية ويمكن أن يحدث فرقًا كبيرًا من حيث تجربتنا.
العنصر الأول لسبر السعادة هو الرفاهية الروحية.
يربط معظم الناس الروحانيات بالدين أو الصلاة. ومع ذلك ، هذا ليس صحيحاً بأي حال من الأحوال. بينما يمكن بالتأكيد اختبار الروحانية في كنيس أو كنيسة أو مسجد أو معبد ، يمكننا أيضًا العثور عليها في حياتنا اليومية. يمكننا تجربة الروحانية بطريقتين: عندما نشعر بإحساس بالمعنى والهدف فيما نقوم به ، وعندما نكون حاضرين تمامًا ومركزين على الوقت الحالي.
هناك فارق مهم نحتاج إلى تمييزه عندما نتحدث عن الروحانيات. يميز فيكتور فرانكل في كتابه بحث الإنسان عن المعنى بين "معنى الحياة" و "المعنى في الحياة". قد يشمل معنى الحياة أسئلة مثل لماذا أنا هنا؟ ما هو الغرض من كل ذلك؟ ما هو كل شيء عن الحياة؟ يبحث الكثير من الناس عن هذه الإجابات في الدين ، أو ربما في مهمة نبيلة من أجل الصالح العام ، مثل التغلب على الفقر أو إنهاء الاحتباس الحراري.
غالبًا ما يكون من الصعب العثور على معنى الحياة - وقد يكون من الصعب المصارعة مع هذا المفهوم ، خاصةً في الأوقات الصعبة عندما نحاول ببساطة تجاوز اليوم. في المقابل ، من الأسهل العثور على معنى في الحياة: في الأشياء العادية التي نقوم بها بشكل روتيني ، في الوقت الحاضر ، في أنشطتنا اليومية في المنزل أو العمل. هذا هو المعنى في الحياة كطريقة لتجربة الرفاهية الروحية - من خلال هذا المفهوم ، ننفتح على إمكانية الحصول على حياة أكثر سعادة حقًا ، حتى في الأوقات الصعبة.
.
Tal Ben-Shahar
Happier No Matter What
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
هناك قصة عن سائح زار إيطاليا. يأتي إلى موقع بناء حيث العمال في كل مكان. يقترب من أحد البنّائين ويسأله: "ماذا تفعل؟" يقول البنّاء : "أنا أضع الطوب".
يمشي السائح عشرين ياردة أخرى ويرى عامل بناء آخر يفعل نفس الشيء بالضبط. يسأل ذلك البنّاء ، "ماذا تفعل؟" يقول العامل الثاني ، "أنا أقوم ببناء جدار."
يرى عاملاً ثالثًا في ذات الموقع ، يؤدي نفس العمل الذي قام به الآخران. سأله السائح: "ماذا تفعل؟" نظر إليه البنّاء وقال ، "أنا أبني كاتدرائية لمجد الله."
بغض النظر عن حجم المهمة أو مدى اتساع التحدي ، فإن منظورنا مهم للغاية ويمكن أن يحدث فرقًا كبيرًا من حيث تجربتنا.
العنصر الأول لسبر السعادة هو الرفاهية الروحية.
يربط معظم الناس الروحانيات بالدين أو الصلاة. ومع ذلك ، هذا ليس صحيحاً بأي حال من الأحوال. بينما يمكن بالتأكيد اختبار الروحانية في كنيس أو كنيسة أو مسجد أو معبد ، يمكننا أيضًا العثور عليها في حياتنا اليومية. يمكننا تجربة الروحانية بطريقتين: عندما نشعر بإحساس بالمعنى والهدف فيما نقوم به ، وعندما نكون حاضرين تمامًا ومركزين على الوقت الحالي.
هناك فارق مهم نحتاج إلى تمييزه عندما نتحدث عن الروحانيات. يميز فيكتور فرانكل في كتابه بحث الإنسان عن المعنى بين "معنى الحياة" و "المعنى في الحياة". قد يشمل معنى الحياة أسئلة مثل لماذا أنا هنا؟ ما هو الغرض من كل ذلك؟ ما هو كل شيء عن الحياة؟ يبحث الكثير من الناس عن هذه الإجابات في الدين ، أو ربما في مهمة نبيلة من أجل الصالح العام ، مثل التغلب على الفقر أو إنهاء الاحتباس الحراري.
غالبًا ما يكون من الصعب العثور على معنى الحياة - وقد يكون من الصعب المصارعة مع هذا المفهوم ، خاصةً في الأوقات الصعبة عندما نحاول ببساطة تجاوز اليوم. في المقابل ، من الأسهل العثور على معنى في الحياة: في الأشياء العادية التي نقوم بها بشكل روتيني ، في الوقت الحاضر ، في أنشطتنا اليومية في المنزل أو العمل. هذا هو المعنى في الحياة كطريقة لتجربة الرفاهية الروحية - من خلال هذا المفهوم ، ننفتح على إمكانية الحصول على حياة أكثر سعادة حقًا ، حتى في الأوقات الصعبة.
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Tal Ben-Shahar
Happier No Matter What
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
October 23, 2020
How to enjoy your unhappiness life by....? This is what professor Tal Ben-Shahar shares with us. Many ways to understand how your worthiness of your life is. I have seen many kinds of astonishing ideas about making your life happier. Sometimes, we may not notice it, until we are riddled with deadly disease leading us to know how to value and appreciate your life, and also people around you.
Recently, people are struggling with depression more than 20-year ago due to time and environment pressure causing us to be rat racers -- devoting all of your energy to overcome the top of the mountain. Some people look to that cohort then choose to be hedonists -- indulging yourself to what you enjoy the most even having no meaning to you in the future. Nihilists are likely the most common form of depressed people having nothing to be pursuited for happiness. Last but not least, happyists is the most lucky people in the world. Why? I would like to say that they understand how to be joyful in present and also not denounce meaningful future. Some paradoxical and astonishing ideas will change your thoughts about your life.
Unsurprisingly, I am still encountering my unhappiness life. I am, however, willing to say that I am happier than the past after finishing this book. Many thanks to Tal Ben-Shahar
Recently, people are struggling with depression more than 20-year ago due to time and environment pressure causing us to be rat racers -- devoting all of your energy to overcome the top of the mountain. Some people look to that cohort then choose to be hedonists -- indulging yourself to what you enjoy the most even having no meaning to you in the future. Nihilists are likely the most common form of depressed people having nothing to be pursuited for happiness. Last but not least, happyists is the most lucky people in the world. Why? I would like to say that they understand how to be joyful in present and also not denounce meaningful future. Some paradoxical and astonishing ideas will change your thoughts about your life.
Unsurprisingly, I am still encountering my unhappiness life. I am, however, willing to say that I am happier than the past after finishing this book. Many thanks to Tal Ben-Shahar
June 5, 2019
I read that this author taught a course at Harvard and it was one the most popular with its students, that info led me into reading this book. After reading this book I can see why people love this class and as a current University student, I wish there was a class like this for me to take. There is a lot of practical advice that is supported by science and case studies on a topic that is one that a lot of people are seeking to achieve, being happier.
I love the fact that the author cites a lot of books that I have read and enjoyed like Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow." In my opinion, when it comes to being "happier," you must have a daily mindset and habits that produce a result of you being more happier no matter what happens to you that day. That ideal place of happiness is what a lot of people seek and might not be possible but trying to achieve it might cause you to become happier than you ever taught you can be.
I love the fact that the author cites a lot of books that I have read and enjoyed like Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow." In my opinion, when it comes to being "happier," you must have a daily mindset and habits that produce a result of you being more happier no matter what happens to you that day. That ideal place of happiness is what a lot of people seek and might not be possible but trying to achieve it might cause you to become happier than you ever taught you can be.
January 7, 2018
stuff you should already know from memes your friends share on facebook.
Main takeaway: there are 4 types or people/ activities:
those that have pleasure now forsaking the future (hedonists) -learned helplessness
forsake now for future pleasure (rat-racer) - the destination fallacy
those not good now or later (imo this is the actuality for both of the above)
those that cultivate happiness now and later - the main focus of the book. Lots of time spent examining how so many activities should be this way and our outlook can change to make that happen.
"Happiness is the ultimate currency - money is a means"
Thought two things (in the second half of the book) stuck out to me.
1) we come home from work and do nothing - convincing ourselves we don't have time for hobbies that would actually make us happy now/ future.
2) too many happiness cultivating things to do can make you unhappy - get less busy/ choose what you really want.
Main takeaway: there are 4 types or people/ activities:
those that have pleasure now forsaking the future (hedonists) -learned helplessness
forsake now for future pleasure (rat-racer) - the destination fallacy
those not good now or later (imo this is the actuality for both of the above)
those that cultivate happiness now and later - the main focus of the book. Lots of time spent examining how so many activities should be this way and our outlook can change to make that happen.
"Happiness is the ultimate currency - money is a means"
Thought two things (in the second half of the book) stuck out to me.
1) we come home from work and do nothing - convincing ourselves we don't have time for hobbies that would actually make us happy now/ future.
2) too many happiness cultivating things to do can make you unhappy - get less busy/ choose what you really want.
Read
April 23, 2018as i was reading this book, it seemed to apply to every situation and person around me. i love books that sink into the mesh of your life that way.
i didn't find "answers" in the exercises, but it's given me a lot to think about and integrates a lot of good thought about what happiness really represents.
i haven't found my personal north star, but i have found a clear answer as to why i might not feel as happy now as i once did. and somehow that gives me peace just to understand maybe my current state is well reasoned.
i didn't find "answers" in the exercises, but it's given me a lot to think about and integrates a lot of good thought about what happiness really represents.
i haven't found my personal north star, but i have found a clear answer as to why i might not feel as happy now as i once did. and somehow that gives me peace just to understand maybe my current state is well reasoned.
May 3, 2020
In a world gone mad- it's nice to read the logic and reason of Tal Ben-Shahar. The concepts in this book are similar to those in Shawn Achor's 'The Happiness Advantage'- as should be expected since Shawn was Tal's student. Still, repetition is not a bad things with these ideas. Our culture is designed to strive for happiness, so it's good to be reminded about what's really important in life. Be happy!
October 26, 2021
Fairly short, but helpful guide starting from basic notions about happiness to actual implementation of it in life. The exercises after every chapter are quite interesting and give a more practical insight into what has been said in the chapter. if you like planning meticulously, this book will suit you!
It's not preachy, and quite realistic except one bit at the end where he is talking about 'happiness revolution' - that was lost on me because it was just...weird. and also saying that capitalism has done nothing to the rates of depression atm was bizarre and could be easily challenged.
that's why 4 stars because otherwise, it's quite an interesting short book.
It's not preachy, and quite realistic except one bit at the end where he is talking about 'happiness revolution' - that was lost on me because it was just...weird. and also saying that capitalism has done nothing to the rates of depression atm was bizarre and could be easily challenged.
that's why 4 stars because otherwise, it's quite an interesting short book.
October 19, 2023
I read too many self help books at once and they all start sounding the same, this book isn’t bad but it’s nothing unique. If this was my first step into focusing on happiness it wouldn’t be a bad one to keep the goal front of mind.
September 29, 2017
nice little reminder about what really makes us happy. though this positive view not for everyone.
September 2, 2020
Game changer. A truly worthwhile read. I’m happier already. :)
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